<\/p>\n

If guidebooks had their own Facebook page, I\u2019d be a fan. My shelves are a miniature library of guidebooks and language references. I\u2019m a geek when it comes to knowing about where I’m headed (though my last post <\/a>we found out I can surely improve) and I\u2019ve thanked them for the bits of info\u00a0helping me out along the way. In fact, I feel its being a responsible traveler to do the necessary research before leaving home.<\/p>\n

In this article, Steve Bramucci <\/a>gives his take on why guidebooks can, and often do, ruin people\u2019s travels. To sum it up, he believes people lean on them far too much, blindly ticking off \u201cmust see\u201d places because the “all knowing” guidebook said so. In doing so, one misses the essence of what traveling is all about; the intangibles that happen along the way, like getting lost, finding an out-of-the-way caf\u00e9 no one knows about, or entire neighborhoods for that matter (like when I spent an entire afternoon lost in an intimate Beijing hutong neighborhood).<\/p>\n

Although I take guides with me while on the road, I treat\u00a0them much less like a Bible, and more like a suggested outline\u00a0that I pick and choose from as I go about my day. We all know they get dated, perhaps even biased, but the information you gain from them, and the direction offered, can foster a far better travel experience. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Although, what works for one person, may not for another. Enjoy your travels!<\/p>\n

*Photo by horaceko<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jon Wick<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master\u2019s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, <\/em>The Story of Will, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com<\/a>. (@ExpedJon<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If guidebooks had their own Facebook page, I\u2019d be a fan. My shelves are a miniature library of guidebooks and language references. I\u2019m a geek when it comes to knowing about where I’m headed (though my last post we found out I can surely improve) and I\u2019ve thanked them for the bits of info\u00a0helping me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,2578,2564],"tags":[745,1414,747,746],"yoast_head":"\n